


A long road

by NatRomanov



Series: Journey towards happiness [1]
Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Blood, Blood and Injury, Choi Saeran Route, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Implied Sexual Content, Minor Injuries, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romantic Fluff, Saeran After Ending spoilers, Spoilers, cursing, secret agents, vandy honestly deserves a happy end!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-13 09:41:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29026650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NatRomanov/pseuds/NatRomanov
Summary: Mild Saeran AE spoilers!This was dangerous.Youwere dangerous. The problem was that he was already at a point of no return, so his only option was to not act on any of his feelings. To keep himself and also you safe.In all his years at the agency, he's never had that much trouble of keeping his distance to someone. And then you showed up and turned his entire life upside down.
Relationships: Vanderwood (Mystic Messenger) & Original Character(s), Vanderwood (Mystic Messenger) & Reader, Vanderwood (Mystic Messenger)/Original Female Character(s), Vanderwood (Mystic Messenger)/Reader
Series: Journey towards happiness [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2134431
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	A long road

**Author's Note:**

> This is based off Saerans AE and was inspired by little breadcrumbs we were fed about Vandy in the Good Ending. 
> 
> It uhm... kind of escalated a bit. I honestly didn't expect it to turn out this long xD

Everything started 4 years ago.

Getting paired with another agent, especially someone he's never worked with before, was an absolute nightmare for Vanderwood. Sure, if expected, he would do it. But he wasn't happy about it at all. He's always worked better alone.   
Not to mention that the mission wasn't anything too complicated. No way he wouldn't be able to finish it alone within a couple hours. They just had to pair him up with someone! Not to mention the agent was also one of the newer ones. Not necessarily a rookie, but still not as experienced as he was.   
What an absolute nuisance. 

Currently he was leaning against his car, taking a drag of his cigarette as he waited for his temporary partner at their meeting spot. It was busy and barely anyone spared him a second glance, which he was kind of glad about. When you finally came into view, he took a moment to eye you. You were pretty, but in his experience, most of the time the pretty ones were also the ones that never lasted too long. Not to mention that you were too cheery for his liking. Especially considering the kind of job you've both had. 

"Didn't anyone ever tell you that it's rude to ogle women like that?", your teasing voice snapped him out of his thoughts and the smile you aimed his way made him scoff. "Shut up and get in the car. We have no time to waste", was his only response and, after flicking the cigarette stub onto the street, he slipped into the drivers seat. 

You joined him after stashing your bag in the trunk, and the way you continuously kept your eyes fixed on him was, frankly speaking, kind of irritating.   
"What?"   
"I'm just trying to figure out who might've pissed into your coffee, for you to be in such a bad mood."  
Vanderwood decided not to answer and simply concentrated on the street, as he got you two to your destination. The sooner the job was done, the sooner he would be able to drop you back off and, hopefully, not have to work with you again. 

The silence in the car didn't last all too long, before you decided to start talking again. And it seemed like you didn't even care whether he would answer or not. If the day continued like that, he would've had to start writing a list of things you did that absolutely annoyed him.   
"Look, I know you are not big on having a partner. People warned me about it. But thing is, I'm not as bad of an agent as you probably think I am."  
He glanced shortly at you, his brown eyes not really giving anything away.   
"I guess we won't be having a problem, as long as you follow orders."   
For some reason, he didn't like the way you nearly beamed at him and then saluted in a somewhat mocking kind of way. 

"I can absolutely do that. Under the condition that your plan won't suck. Otherwise I will rebel and do whatever is best to get things done."

He couldn't help the groan that escaped him. Why? Just why did he have to deal with someone like you, when he was already punished by having to take care of the agency's genius kid? Why always the annoying kind...   
"Don't make me tase you", he finally muttered.   
And your reaction to that? You actually chuckled. At least you kept quiet for the rest of the ride, which he was thankful for. 

As soon as the destination was reached and the car parked at a save distance, out of sight, he noticed how your expression shifted and you looked far more serious.   
"Alright, so what's your plan, then?", you asked, while putting your hair up into a ponytail.   
"Hopefully you read the files attentively?" When you nodded, he continued. "Well, it's not supposed to be too difficult. Security is rather sparse and we shouldn't have any problem getting in with the badges we got. So at least try to act like a business woman."   
You rolled your eyes at him for a moment, before you slipped out of the car, to get some gear from the trunk and hid a couple weapons under your clothes. If he was being honest, he was kind of impressed with the way you managed to conceal a gun so well under your skirt. As soon as he realized that he was basically staring at your thighs in that moment, he was quick to look anywhere but your way.   
"This isn't my first rodeo. I know how to go undercover. Now continue, please?" 

Standing right beside you, he tugged a gun in the back of his waistband, taser hidden in his pocket. "I'll have to go to the 6th floor, where the security room is. I'll loop camera footage and turn off alarms, so you can get into the office on the 10th floor. You'll download the data and then we both get the hell out of here again."   
"Mhm... Sounds easy enough." You frowned, but soon enough shook your head to get rid of your thoughts. "Alright, let's do this! You should probably go first then, because I'll have to wait for your okay." 

A short nod and you both put in your ear pieces to keep in contact, then Vanderwood took off towards the tall building. He had to agree. It did sound easy. Easy enough for a one man job. But there was nothing he could do about that anymore now, other than making sure everything got done quickly and smoothly. God knows he wasn't keen on working through a shit ton of paperwork, in case something went wrong.   
As expected, the fake badges worked perfectly and he managed to slip into the security room without too much trouble. It only took him a couple minutes, until he was able to give you the okay, always keeping a close eye on all the CCTV. Better to be safe than sorry. 

"Okay, I'm in. But Vanderwood?"   
The only answer you got was a hum to let you know he was listening.   
"Doesn't this kind of feel... I don't know. Too easy? We're stealing very sensitive information here. I really expected more security to show up. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for easy and quick missions, but something seems off. The place should be crawling with security."   
As much as he hated to agree, you've had a point. 

Though before he was able to dwell on it further, the door flew open and made him wince.   
"Freeze! Hands were we can see them!"   
Crap... so much for easy in, easy out. Slowly, he raised his hands.   
"You've got the data, right? Then get out of here. Now!", he muttered.   
On the other end, you made a confused noise. "What the hell? What's going on, Vanderwood?" 

He had to think fast, come up with some kind of plan. Turning to face the guards, he was able to count 5 in the room. But he didn't know how many were outside or in the halls right now, potentially looking for you.   
"Doesn't matter. Just get out, you got this? Take the car. I'll handle this."   
"Handle what? Come on, talk to me, idiot!" 

Instead of answering though, he quickly grabbed his gun and took the first guard out, then took cover behind one of the shelves in the room. He knew he was kind of stuck and there was no other exit besides the door that was very much blocked. What made matters worse was when he noticed how blood seeped through his shirt, staining it an angry red at his side.   
"Fuck...", he cursed quietly, not even really registering how you constantly continued to talk to him. Peeking around the corner, he quickly had to pull his head back again, so he wouldn't get caught by the rain of bullets aimed at him. 

Hastily, he moved to the other side, grabbing the next best thing he could get his hands on to throw and lead the guards away from him. An easy distraction tactic but it mostly worked and made it possible for him to take down the second guy.   
Only three more left... 

That's when he suddenly heard gunshots in the hallway, followed by bodies hitting the ground. It didn't take a genius to figure out what the cause for that was and he cursed inwardly. Why couldn't you have just listened to him?!   
Still he used the moment of confusion to leap at the guard closest to him, back turned to the agent, and wrapped his arm around his neck, hand resting on his jaw. With a swift movement of his arm, a crack was heard and the man fell limply to the floor.   
When Vanderwood turned to the side, there was a gun aimed at him. His eyes closed as a shot rang in his ears, though instead of feeling any pain, there was a dull "thump" instead. 

"For fucks sake, you should've been more careful!"   
His eyes snapped open at your words and all he could really do was glare, his free hand now pressed to his side to stop the bleeding.   
"When I tell you to go, you go!", he spat angrily, trying not to stagger too much, as he took a couple steps towards you.   
You were swiftly at his side to steady him, one arm wrapped around his waist, while the other one pulled his arm around your shoulders to help him towards the emergency exit, so you two could get out.   
"And leave you for dead? Not happening, hotshot." 

The casual compliment nearly made him scoff, but he was still doing his best to stay mad at you. After all you were the one with the data they had to get. If anything would've happened to you as well, it all would've been for nothing.  
"Why do you have to be such a stubborn piece of shit?"   
"Funny, I was just about to ask you the same thing", you huffed. 

As soon as you had reached the car, you helped Vanderwood into the passengers seat and once in the car yourself, you probably broke all sorts of speed limits to get you both out of there.   
Occasionally some pained groans escaped him when you drove over a bump in the street and if it wasn't for the pain, he would've probably even been amused about how you constantly apologized when that happened. 

At some point he looked out the window and frowned at the unfamiliar surroundings.   
"Where exactly are we going? Gonna get rid of me in the forest?"   
You let out a humorless laugh and only glanced shortly at him.   
"Sure, totally gonna do that, after saving your ass. Makes complete sense... No, I'm taking you to a safe house. It's probably better not to go home, in case someone might've followed us."   
With the way you had been driving, he actually doubted that anyone would've still been able to be hot on your heels, but it was still a valid point. Neither of you needed any of those assholes to actually follow you home. 

It only took a couple more minutes until you parked in front of a small cabin, in the middle of the forest.   
Vanderwood was already rather pale and you didn't waste any time to help him inside, as carefully as possible leading him to the couch, before you were already busy gathering all the supplies you might need to patch him up.  
"Think you'll be able to take your shirt off yourself?"   
"And you haven't even bought me dinner, yet...", he murmured, the faintest hint of amusement in his voice, as he began to peel himself out of the white button-down shirt.   
"Ah, he's actually able to joke. But I'm not sure if that's a good sign or if that means you're gonna die on me", you countered with a small smile, as you put down all kinds of tools on the small coffee table. 

After putting on some gloves, you handed him a bottle of scotch. It was the next best thing you were able to find, something else to focus on and that would hopefully numb the pain a bit, and Vanderwood immediately took a swig from it, as you began to carefully press around the wound and got a better look at it.   
"No exit wound... This is gonna hurt, I'm afraid", you muttered and he didn't know if he was just seeing things, or if you actually looked concerned. Why would you be worried for him? It wasn't like you two were close or long-term partners. Though he was quick to dismiss it and instead waved one hand slightly around.   
"Do your worst, nurse." 

The comment earned him an eye roll, but you seemed a little less tense. Good.   
He watched you as attentively as possible, while you doused a cotton ball in alcohol to clean the bullet wound, drawing a small hiss from him at the added burning sensation.   
"Why do I get the feeling you've done this before?"  
For a short moment you looked up at him and shrugged then went on to disinfect the long tweezers and prepared some gauze dressings.   
"A couple times. That was kind of my main job for a while, because I picked up fast on how to patch people up", you explained, at the same time carefully inserting the tweezers into the wound to look for the bullet. 

Vanderwood groaned and the fingers of his free hand squeezed his thigh tightly, eyes squeezed shut at the new wave of pain. All while trying his best not to flinch too much, so he wouldn't make things more difficult for you, prodding around, and more painful for himself.  
"It's gonna be over soon... Good news are, the bullet is in one piece. Aaand... There we have the sucker!"   
You nearly held it up triumphantly, as you quickly pressed a gauze dressing to the wound, then moved one of your partner's hands there, so he would keep it in place. 

After preparing the needle and thread, you made quick work of swing the wound shut and once again, even through the pain, he had to admit that you really were good at it. Dare he say that the new scar it would inevitably leave would've most definitely been the least nasty one. He would've done a far worse job, if he would've tried to patch himself up.   
A silence settled between you for a bit, until you finished everything off by securely wrapping a bandage around his middle.   
"... Thank you", he eventually got out and slumped back into the cushions, as soon as you were done.   
"Not for that, big guy. Now, let's get you to the bedroom. And no, this is not up for discussion."

Even if he would've wanted to, he couldn't find it in himself to get irritated at you, like he had at the beginning. He'd probably just blame it on the blood loss, because there was no way in hell he'd ever admit that having someone care for him, like you did, gave him a warm feeling in his chest. And everyone in that line of work knew feelings like that were dangerous...   
Still he let you help him into the bed and watched quietly as you put a bottle of water and some painkillers on the bedside table.   
It meant nothing... You were probably just on the nicer side in general and did this for everyone you've had to patch up. It was something he'd just had to tell himself over and over again. 

"You know... You're actually not so bad", he still murmured eventually and the bright smile he got rewarded with was absolutely worth it.   
"Well, you're not so bad yourself. Now sleep. I'll make sure everything is safe."   
It didn't take long until he began to doze off, to the sounds of you cleaning up and he was able to hear your soft voice at some point, probably reporting to some of the higher ups and talking about what happened. 

When he woke up again, he had absolutely no idea what time, or day, it actually was. As he slowly sat up in bed, he hissed and not a minute later, you poked your head into the room, a somewhat relieved expression in your (e/c) eyes.  
"Hey, there ~ I see the patient is conscious again."   
"How long was I out?"   
"Let's see.... I think it was 11 hours or something like that? How are you feeling?"  
You didn't even wait for an answer, as you already sat down next to him and began unwrapping the bandage to check on your work on him, before switching the gauze dressing and bandage out for a new one. 

"Still feel like I got hit by a bus, but I've been worse", he brushed it off and even if you looked at him with a raised brow, you didn't say anything.   
"Well, I'm just glad you seem to be doing alright. Now come on. I've mad some pancake and you gotta get some food into you. Afterwards we can pack up and I'll get you home."  
For a couple seconds he simply watched as you made your way into the living room, before he decided to follow you slowly, catching the shirt you threw at him.  
"Might be a bit on the tighter side for you, but I guess it's better than nothing." 

There were all the "why" questions again. Why did you care? Why would you want to make sure he ate? Why did you seem so worried over another agent you barely even knew? Why had you come to help him in the first place, when things went wrong?  
But there would be no answers until he asked you all of that. Though he was absolutely not willing to ask. At least not yet. And who knew if you two would even work together again. 

Breakfast was relatively silent and you mainly just filled him in on what you've discussed with the agency on the phone, so he was up to date with everything.   
When he offered to take over the paperwork that always followed shit like that, you shook your head nearly violently.   
"No, I got this. You should focus on getting better."  
Yeah, sure. As if that was an option with his obligations to make sure the kid 707 would get his work done on time. But he decided against telling you that and just nodded. 

The drive home was also quiet, although it was anything but uncomfortable. After a while you'd turned the radio on, on a low volume, and occasionally hummed along to the ones you knew.   
Vanderwood took the opportunity to glance at you every now and then. The rare case of him getting curious about someone applied to you and it was irking him. No agent was supposed to get attached to anyone in any kind of way. No sympathy, no nothing. That shit never ended well.   
How was it possible that there was a single nice bone left in your body? Or well, it seemed like there was more than just one. Normally things like sympathy would've already been killed off, for the agent's own well being. Constantly dwelling on how many lives someone took would usually only lead to another dead body; their own. So how the fuck were you still bright and nice? Nothing added up with you. 

Eventually he got pulled out of his thoughts, when you parked the car and dropped the keys into his lap, then got out to grab your bag out of the trunk.   
Frowning, he slipped out himself and gave you a questioning look.   
"What are you doing?"   
"Uhm, getting my stuff? It's your car, after all."   
"But how are you-"   
"It's fine. I don't live too far from here, I can just walk", you interrupted him and already began to make your way down the sidewalk.   
"Who knows, maybe we'll get to see each other again!" With a wide smile, you looked back over your shoulder and threw him a wink. 

The brunette let out a long sigh, as he made his way to his apartment. You were such a peculiar woman... Though he couldn't deny that having you with him for that job most definitely saved his life. As much as he hated to admit that.   
Still there was no way he'd ever let himself hope to work with you again. 

Little did he know that it was actually decided that you two had made a good team and got sent on partner missions far more often.   
Mainly out of habit, he'd complain about it and be all grumpy. You, on the other hand, didn't seem to buy any of his act. If anything, you usually seemed more amused about his complaints than anything else. You'd usually look at him with a raised brown and there was a gleam in your eyes that told him you were looking right through his act.  
He had always liked to think of himself of someone who was difficult to read, someone who was able to act out perfectly how he wanted others to see him. So why were you different? How were you seemingly able to look right through him? 

It wasn't really a big surprise that with every new mission you went on together, you started to get to know each other better. Likes, dislikes, but never anything too personal. You both knew it was a taboo. Knowing too much about someone else could lead to a huge disaster, on both sides.   
Still... He became comfortable around you and during undercover missions, especially where you had to pretend to be madly in love, he found himself enjoying doing things that were more normal. Even if it was just an act.   
As far as he was able to tell, and he was convinced that at that point he was able to read you just as well, you enjoyed everything, too. Pretending to be newly weds, acting like tourists when you were really scouting out the area to find easy accesses and safe escape routes. 

Especially, he'd probably never forget the time you two had to travel to Italy as supposedly newly weds on their honeymoon. The way your eyes lit up and you were nearly clinging to his hand, as you dragged him through some streets, using what little free time you've had to actually do some shopping as well. How you've told him excitedly about how you always wanted to travel Europe and being in Italy felt like a dream.   
It was endearing, really. And pretending to be on a honeymoon with you was frighteningly easy.

It shouldn't have been that easy to feign being in love with you. But there he was, smiling at your adorable reactions to the smallest things, giving your hand little squeezes, as you would swing your arms slightly, while walking through the sun, buying you a delicate necklace, because he thought it complimented you perfectly and fit your summer dress as well. Plucking a rose from a bush and making sure it didn't have any thorns, before he tugged it behind your ear. The blush on your cheeks and the small giggle, followed by a kiss to his cheek making his heart skip. 

This was dangerous. _You_ were dangerous. The problem was that he was already at a point of no return, so his only option was to not act on any of his feelings. To keep himself and also you safe.  
In all his years at the agency, he's never had that much trouble of keeping his distance to someone. And then you showed up and turned his entire life upside down. 

The worst thing was that you seemed like you've already given up to stick to protocols. Sure, when you were actually at the agency or other agents were around, you were all professional. But whenever you two were alone? You got close, there were touches and even movie dates either at his place or yours. Eventually you even talked about more personal things. Back then he had scolded you for telling him your real name, saying it meant nothing but trouble, when you just told someone about that, but secretly, he was thrilled that you seemed to trust him that much. In return, he told you that he absolutely hated his assigned name.   
_"Why Mary Vanderwood 3rd?", you had asked chuckling and he couldn't help but groan and roll his eyes.  
"Dont ask me. Boss picked it. Why? Dunno. But I absolutely despise it."   
"Mhm... Then tell me this: If you could pick any name for yourself, which would it be?"   
"Stark."   
"Why Stark?"   
"Just think it sounds kinda cool."_  
Sometimes it felt like there was already so much more, but none of you ever took the step of talking about it. 

All the undercover missions didn't make anything easier, either. If anything, it was way too easy to let his carefully built walls down and, even if only for a while, bask in what could've maybe been his, in another life. Nevertheless, he forced himself not to take things too far.   
Well... that was until you actually managed to wrap the mission up two days sooner than expected and there was no way of getting an earlier flight. So you had suggested to use that time for an actual mini vacation, with you insisting that you both absolutely needed some days off. And Vanderwood found himself agreeing way too fast.   
That all ended with something like an actual date, laughs, wine and you even managed to coax him into dancing with you. How that had happened? He had no idea. But there he was, holding you close in his arms, swaying alongside other couples that decided to dance to the soft music. 

Without really realizing what he was doing, Vanderwood moved one hand from your lower back up your neck, until he was cupping your cheek. Your breath hitched and your eyes were big and round as you looked up at him expectantly, lips slightly parted and cheeks flushed. Whether it was from the close proximity of your faces or the wine, he didn't know. What he did know though was that you looked way too irresistible like that and, without thinking about it, he closed the small gap between you, his lips moving gently against yours.   
While you immediately kissed him back, your hands moved up into his hair, nearly to make sure he wouldn't pull away too soon.   
The kiss ended with him nipping lightly on your lower lip and the small moan it elicited from you was enough to make him crave you even more. 

It was silently agreed between the two of you that it was about time to head back to your hotel. With your fingers intertwined, you tugged him along and on your way back, you shared more kisses, getting interrupted by chuckles and giggles as soon as your eager actions made one of you trip or stagger.   
After what felt like an eternity, you finally made it back to your room and the door barely closed behind him with a quiet clicking noise, before his hands were on your hips to pull you closer, and into a far more heated kiss, all teeth and tongue and suppressed feelings spilling out into the open, after bottling them up for over a year.

You seemed just as eager and desperate to get as close to him as possible and before long, the first pieces of clothing landed on the floor, while he carefully led you over to the bed, hands and lips never leaving your body, exploring and drinking in all the noises and moans he was able to draw from you.   
He took his time in worshipping you, basically mapping out your body, since no one knew if this would be a one time only thing and he wanted to be able to remember this, remember you.  
The rest of the night was spend in somewhat of a daze. Tangled limbs, kisses, whispered sweet nothings, all his senses getting flooded by you. 

It was in the very early morning hours, the streets quiet and the sky still dark, when Vanderwood was laying on his back, basically staring up at the ceiling, while your head rested on his shoulder and you lazily drew random patterns to his skin.   
"We're so screwed..."   
"I mean, that's basically what we just-"   
"Don't you even finish that sentence", he interrupted you and lightly pinched your side, which caused you to first squeal and then chuckle.   
"Come on, I'm not wrong, though!" 

Once you've calmed down again, you shifted a bit closer to him and he instinctively wrapped both arms around you, while one hand ran repeatedly through your hair, both of you lost in your thoughts for a while.   
"This is really risky. We shouldn't even have let it come this far."  
"Because our lives aren't risky on a daily basis to begin with", you snorted and glanced at him with a raised brow and amusement in your bright eyes.  
His immediate reaction was to press a kiss to your forehead. By now he knew you good enough to know that you weren't done talking just yet.   
"Besides, let's be completely honest here... We've basically already been dating for quite some time now. We just never put a label on it. That would've made everything too real, I guess. But, I know for myself that I've reached a point, where I'm so head over heels for you, that I can't even try to make myself believe there's nothing. So I'll leave it up to you. And whatever you decide, I'll accept it."   
Vanderwood listened attentively and watched how you averted your gaze, looking anywhere but at him. How you began to fumble aimlessly with the blanket. as you spoke. And the way your expression fell at the end made his heart ache. The last thing he wanted was to see you heartbroken.   
There was absolutely no denying that this was stupid, putting you both at risk, because you'd be each other's weak spot. People like you, living in the shadows and doing disgusting, dirty work weren't supposed to get attached, to love someone...   
Nevertheless you made him crave all those things, made him want to be a little bit selfish just once in his life. 

When he felt you shift and try to get some distance between you two, he could only assume that you misinterpreted his silence. You probably thought he wanted to stop everything, before it could go deeper, but if he was being honest, it was quite the opposite. So before you had the chance to untangle yourself from him, he cupped your cheeks in his hands and pulled you in for a gentle kiss, trying to pour his feelings for you into it. Because god knows he's horrible at vocalizing them. And the way you began to smile against his lips let him know that you didn't need to hear him say it, to understand what he was trying to tell you. 

Like that, the weeks passed and sooner or later the majority of your things found a home in Vanderwood's apartment. Even though you still kept yours as a cover. It was still a secret that you were actually dating now and the agency wasn't allowed to find out about it. Under no circumstances.   
At work, with other's around, you kept a certain distance, not even flirting secretly, since it was too risky. And he would not do anything that could endanger you or what you had.   
On the bright side, since you had the same job, there was no need for any secrets. Even when you went on separate missions, you could talk about it. It didn't make things more dangerous for you than they already were in general. 

And even though he was absolutely not used to affection of any kind or the intimacy you've shared, he gradually warmed up to it. Where there were once mainly some stolen kisses and brief touches, he now sometimes found himself just wrapping his arms around your waist from behind, while you were cooking. Or he'd pull you on top of himself when you watched a movie and refused to let you go, unless absolutely necessary. In short; Vanderwood became an absolute sucker for your touches and having you close.   
Maybe it was because it came with the reassurance that as long as you were in his arms, feeling your warmth and listening to your steady heartbeat, he knew that you were okay. His little piece of happiness in a fucked up world was alive and at his side.

Months passed on like they had prior, with no real trouble, besides the occasional injuries, but you always helped patch the other one up.   
Other than that things went on well, though. Your relationship still a secret, no one (beside the nosy little shit called 707, who had caught up to the slight change in Vanderwood's behavior) suspected anything. Which was a huge relief.

Currently he was at Sevens bunker, grumbling under his breath about not being a fucking maid for a little shit like him, while he was still cleaning up the mess the kid always managed to make. Sometimes he was really wondering just how on earth he managed to dirty up the place like that in such a short time.   
Once everything was done, he let out a long sigh and just as he was about to check on the hacker, his phone vibrated in his pocket.   
He fished it out and as soon as he saw that it was you, he quickly picked up. 

"Hey, is everything-", he cut himself off at the sound of gunshots in the background and his eyes widened in sheer horror. Calls in a situation like that never meant anything good.   
"What's going on? Are you alright?"   
"We- shit! We've got ratted out by someone. Whole operation is going to shit. And right now there's no telling who's the bad guy and who's here from our agency to make sure no one makes it out alive to be able to tell the tale", you explained with a weak laugh, followed by a pained groan. 

Vanderwood had to basically force himself to not just steal one of Seven's cars and track your phone to get you out himself. This couldn't happen... He just found you, found someone he could trust and love. He couldn't lose you now. Especially not like this. Not while he wasn't able to at least try and help you.  
"Listen, you're gonna make it out of there. Hide for as long as you have to, just-"  
"Vandy...", your soft voice interrupted him and he had to swallow thickly. "I love you. Never forget that, okay? I love you with all my heart."   
He nearly drops his phone, before his grip tightens around it.  
"No!No, no, no! We agreed not to say that in situations like that! You won't d-" 

Suddenly, the line went dead and all he could do for a moment was stare at the screen of his phone.   
"Hey, Mary?" Seven stopped as soon as he noticed what kind of state his supervisor was in, brows furrowing. "Vanderwood?", he tried again.   
That seemed to snap the older man out of his thoughts and he motioned for the other one to go back to the computers, while also making his way there.   
"I need you to check some CCTV footage for me", was all he said, without any further explanation.  
Seven nodded and went right to work, after Vanderwood told him where to look. 

Though what the two saw was close to a massacre. Bullet holes in walls, bodies scattered around and blood covering the ground.  
Both were scanning for anything that could be you, but there was nothing. And as much as he would've loved to feel relieved and believe that you made it out, that you actually managed to run and hide, he knew chances were slim. Maybe they just got you somewhere else. 

It felt like someone had a tight grip on his heart, squeezing mercilessly, until they just ripped it right out of his chest, leaving him empty, aside from the pain. For once in his life, he was actually happy. Only to have it ripped so cruelly from him in an instant.   
Then there was also the regret. Regret for not having told you that he loved you. You might've died without ever hearing him actually tell you.  
Everything seemed to be weighing him down and he actually had to sink into a chair, since his legs refused to carry him any longer. He lost the one person that meant more to him than anything else...

The first days were the worst. Where he was used to waking up next to you, clinging to him in your sleep, he now found an empty, cold bed. No more movie nights, your laughter didn't fill the apartment anymore and the safe feeling he always got when he was in your arm was gone forever as well.  
There wasn't even a funeral, since all the agency did was to get rid of any trace that could only hint at your existence. Only your things in his apartment, things he would probably never dare to even move, were proof that you had been there, that you had _lived_. 

Over time, his smoking habits got worse and he fell back into old habits, building walls around himself and on most days he was grumpy and easily irritated. He went back to simply trying to survive from day to day, no matter how. Letting anyone close? Not happening. He even got more snarky towards the young hacker again, especially when said guy only worked slowly and put them both at risk with it.  
On one hand he loathed that he _still_ had to keep an eye on Seven and make sure he'd get his work done. But on the other hand it was something he knew, something that could keep his mind off of missing you for at least a while. And boy was there a lot to deal with, when it came to the brat.

Weeks turned into a couple months and at that point he'd had given up to hope for your return.  
In turn, he fell into somewhat of a routine. Go on occasional solo missions, when he wasn't forced to stay with the hacker, who would use him as his personal maid. Still.   
Once again he found himself cleaning the bunker and suddenly his phone buzzed. Grabbing it from the nearby table, he was already prepared to tell their boss that yes, Agent 707 was indeed doing his work and no, there wouldn't be any problems. Instead, he found himself staring at an unknown number.   
At first he wanted to ignore it, but eventually curiosity got the better of him and he picked up, despite his training and better knowledge.  
"Hello?"   
"Hey... Been a while, huh?"

He froze dead in his tracks. That couldn't be... It just-  
"Vandy? You still with me?"   
It was definitely your voice, there was no doubt whatsoever. It still took him a moment to process it all and he had to swallow the lump forming in his throat.   
"You're alive", was everything he could get out in that moment, a sense of relief flooding him and he leaned against the nearest wall, blankly staring ahead.   
"Yeah, I'm sorry it took me so long to contact you. Turns out it was indeed our agency doing some "cleanup" and faking your own death isn't the easiest thing to do. Neither is getting a new identity that will be safe."   
You sounded so guilty, when he knew exactly how messy that kind of stuff could get. And honestly? He was just glad that you seemed to be doing fine so far. 

"Where are you, babygirl?"   
"I can't tell you, yet..." You kept quiet for a moment. "Hey, so... If you're still-"   
"There was no day I wasn't thinking of you. So what do you think?" Vanderwood sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

The sound of your broken laugh made him want nothing more than be able to pull you into his arms and tell you that everything would be alright.   
"I really wish I could see you... Damn, I should probably hang up, before anyone could potentially track this call."   
"Wait! I-" Why was he still not able to say it? Why was it so difficult to get those three little words out?   
Though like the angel you were, even over the phone you seemed to know what was on his mind.   
"I know. I love you, too. Now promise me to take care of yourself, okay?"   
"Promise", he murmured, the corners of his lips quirking up ever so slightly. You both mumbled goodbyes and even though neither of you wanted to hang up, he knew it was for the better.   
At least now he actually knew that you weren't dead and it felt like a huge weight was finally lifted off his shoulders. 

One day, he got a letter. There wasn't anything on the envelope, other than his address. At first he was a little weary. As an agent, you could never be careful enough. People could always attempt to murder you. Though then a scent hit him that he knew all too well. Your perfume... An easy and inconspicuous way to tell him the letter was safe and from you.  
"Clever girl..."   
When he opened it, the letter inside was unmistakably written in your handwriting and a warm feeling spread in his chest as he read everything once, twice...   
After that, more followed every couple weeks. Not too often, as to not raise any suspicions. But often enough to let him know that you were doing fine. And that's all he needed, really. 

Finding a way out of the agency was anything but easy, though. Not to mention that a part of him actually felt bad about the thought of leaving Seven behind as well, in the long run. As much as he hated it, and he'd forever deny it if anyone asked, he actually grew fond of the little shit. Sure, the kid had those RFA guys, but once Vanderwood left, they'd assign him a new supervisor and that agent would surely not cover for him or try to delay the deadline, so he could still get the work done on time.  
Why couldn't anything be easy in his life? Just once. Was that really too much to ask for?

Apparently so. Because before he knew what was actually happening, he was basically forced to help their boss get into the bunker and their hands on the hacker. For what? He hadn't really known at that point. But soon enough everything became one big, gruesome, confusing mess.   
And Vanderwood? In the middle of everything, he had absolutely no clue what to do. 

If he'd obviously went against the orders of his boss and the Prime Minister, his life could've ended in the blink of an eye. But if he didn't do _something_ , then Seven was definitely done for. It was a dilemma and there wasn't even a chance to contact you and ask for help on what to do. Oh, how he wished he could at least call you to hear your voice... It always managed to soothe him.  
No, he had to be stuck with this internal battle and trying to come up with a plan that wouldn't end in someone's death. 

Everything got only more tangled, though, when Seven's twin and that guy's partner showed up and got further involved. Not to mention that the way they basically begged him to help them made it more difficult for him to convince himself that, maybe, it was time to be selfish and actually only think about his own life, for once.   
Not even that seemed to be a possibility for him. Fuck. 

He gave in sooner than he would've liked and in the short time he actually had to come up with some sort of plan, it was mainly just damage control. Though that's better than nothing, right?  
And no matter how often he said that it was all he could do and that he would be on the run afterwards, it was never really the truth.   
Man, here he always told Seven he'd never want to get involved with that group of his. Then it turned out that the charity group was actually kind of messed up and led up to possibly the worst case scenario. For pretty much everyone involved.

Actually, the decision to switch sides wasn't really all too difficult. Especially if it meant that he'd get out of the shithole called agency.   
Truth be told, it was kind of a surprise to him that actually everything worked out. None of the good guys died, the agency got completely destroyed and the Prime Minister would face a very long time in prison, for everything he had done. 

It felt kind of surreal when things had settled down and it dawned on Vanderwood that it was actually over. It brought a freedom that he was absolutely not used to, but as soon as realization hit him on him what that meant, he jumped into action.   
Boxes were packed, a moving company hired to get everything transported and then all that was left, was to get himself to the new place. 

The drive into his hometown took a couple hours, but he didn't mind. At least that gave him time to think and prepare himself, maybe even make some plans beforehand.   
When he arrived at a house in a rather quiet neighborhood, it was already late at night. Which was one of the reasons he decided to postpone getting the things out of the car until the next day. It wasn't all too important anyway  
As quietly as possible, he unlocked the door and stepped inside, though he'd just turned around again and was about to walk further inside, when you were already jumping into his arms. The action caused him to stagger a bit and he let out a surprised noise, but his brain caught up rather quickly and his hands found your thighs to keep you from slipping down.

Meanwhile, you were showering his face in kisses and Vanderwood had to actively pout and give you puppy eyes, to get you to finally kiss him properly.   
It's been way too long since he was able to do that and he sure as hell didn't want to waste any more time.   
Eventually you two pulled apart, since breathing was a thing you both needed to do, and he gently set you down to be able to take in your appearance. The first thing he noticed was that you were now sporting your natural hair color, instead of keeping it dyed, like you had back at the agency.   
Wrapping a strand around his fingers, he smiled down at you.   
"Looks good", he murmured and that earned him a light slap against the chest. "Hey! What was that for?" Even if he tried to feign to be hurt, he couldn't help but chuckle.   
"We didn't see each other in years and that's the first thing you tell me?" You puffed your cheeks which, in his opinion, made you all the more adorable. 

But you were right... You hadn't seen each other for about two years. Still, that didn't mean he couldn't tease you a little, did it?   
"Not even telling me that you missed me...", you continued to mutter, while you got pulled into a tight hug and the way you clung to him, with your face buried on his chest, made the knowledge of this being real finally sink in. You were back in his arms, you were safe and he would never let anyone take you from him again.  
"I've missed you, babygirl", he whispered into your ear and when you beamed up at him, his heart skipped a beat. God, and how he had missed you... There were no words to describe it, though he was dead set on not letting go of you anytime soon. That was also the reason you two waddled into the living room, still in each other's arms and the silliness of it all left you giggling.

"So, it's all over now? Like, no way they could come for you again?"   
He hummed in confirmation and flopped down on the couch with you, so that you were sprawled out on top of him.  
"The agency itself is history. I'll tell you all the details tomorrow. It's... quite the story."   
"Mhmm... I can wait until the morning. I'm just happy to finally have you at my side again."

Dropping a kiss to the top of your head, he wrapped his arms tightly around you and for a while you two simply basked in each other's warmth, the feeling of home and the knowledge that there would be no more threats out there waiting for you.  
"Do you know what that means?", his quiet voice eventually broke the comfortable silence. "We can go on dates now. You know, like normal people."   
You began to laugh brightly and even if he was confused, the sound made his heart swell and his expression immediately softened as he waited for an explanation to your outburst.  
"I'm sorry to burst your bubble, Vandy, but we're far from normal."   
"... Fair enough", he admitted with an amused snort. 

Either way, the possibility of proper dates, being able to show everyone that you were in love with each other... It was kind of nice.   
Though then a thought crossed his mind and he had a glint in his eyes, that you knew all too well. The kind where you knew you were about to get teased for something.   
"Say, are you serious, though? Out of all the names you could've picked?"   
"What? When you marry me, you can finally have your dream name, Mr. Stark", you teased right back, with the biggest grin and he couldn't help himself but lean in for a deep kiss, one hand tangled in your soft hair.   
"That's blackmail, Y/N...", he murmured against your lips, before he dove right in for another kiss.   
"Maybe~ But you can't tell me you're actually complaining, babe." 

You were right, he couldn't complain. Not with the thought in mind that you chose that name for him. Because it was a dream of his and you seemed to be eager to help him fulfill as many as possible. The fact alone that you even remembered something like that, something that probably seemed so unimportant to others...  
He was still wondering how he got so lucky to be able to call you his. 

"True. And wanna know why? Because I love you."   
It was nearly comical how wide your eyes got at his words and for a moment all you could do was stare at him. When your brain finally caught up to his words, you were basically clinging to him again, your face buried on his neck and he felt your lips move against his skin, when you spoke, causing a shiver to run down his spine, your voice a bit muffled.  
"I love you, too." 

Sometimes, though, there was still the fear of waking up alone. Back in that cold, empty apartment. Where he would find out that everything was just a dream. Something his mind came up with to deal with the loneliness he felt on a daily basis.   
But you were always there, either sleeping peacefully in his arms when he woke up, or being the one to wake him up with sweet kisses. And with every day he goot to spend with you, living your new lives, it became more and more obvious that it was actually real and you had no intentions of leaving him.   
Everything finally fell into place. Finally it was his turn to be happy, especially with you at his side. 


End file.
